Of Cats and Men

Understanding God through time with my cat

I have a feeling this is going to be the start of a series. The more time I spend with my cat, Bjorn, the more I start to see parallels between how I see Bjorn, and how God sees me. Among the countless lessons I have learned, the one I want to emphasize today is what I like to refer to as being categories. Think about it like this: how many times has your pet done damage you couldn’t undo? How often does your cat make a mess so bad you couldn’t clean up? Now, Bjorn can be an absolute menace sometimes, zipping across the floors, biting at my leg, making sure his toes get stepped on as I walk down the hall, the shenanigans never end. But of all the dumb stunts he has pulled, he has never put me in harm's way, not once. In fact, I’m having trouble picturing a scenario in which he does anything close to serious damage. Both of us would have to be really stupid for something truly bad to happen. I know he’s capable of being stupid, but thankfully I’m just smart enough to cover all my bases. I keep the plastic off the floor, an eye on the counters, and his food and water supply full at all times. Even if I slip up, I would have to be trying for things to get out of hand.

As I reflect on this dynamic, it reminds of how God sees me. He’s bigger than all my problems. There’s no damage I can do that He can’t undo.I see it as  a form of pride to assume God can’t handle my mess. The way I see it, saying God can’t undo my mess is to say that I have a power that is greater than God’s. I have always found this insight amusing. 

And yet, we often neglect God’s power. Why is that? I think this is because of our limited perspective. Bjorn’s brain isn’t big enough to understand money, the economy, or the concept of walmart. He just understands food, water, and that little red light he can never seem to catch (and, even then, he still doesn’t understand why he can’t seem to catch it.) But is it fair to say that there are dimensions of existence we don’t understand, especially since we have enough understanding to ask such a question? I used to think this was an absurd conclusion. Then I started following the King, and I realized I could barely even understand the world right in front of my face! Not only did I see my own limits, but the limits in others, and the human race as a whole. Sure, we are capable of much, and we should never be held down by the excuse that we have hit the ceiling, but we are quite far from having all the understanding there is to have.  

It takes trust to  live this out: to believe that God is good, and taking care of everything that I don’t see, even when a tragic mess is staring me in the face. I’d be lying if I said this trust was an easy thing to come by. Some days are rough, no doubt! Some days I feel like I know best. “If God only did things this way, everything would be just fine.” I tell myself. But in those moments of pride, I am reminded of times I have said that before. Times I have wanted something, and dare I say quite badly, only to have God say no. I kick and I scream until I’m blue in the face, but when I finally manage to calm down and my head clears, all I can say is “Thank you, God, for having the patience and grace to not give me what I thought I needed.” It’s humbling, and almost scary, knowing where I could have wound up, but it is good. 

But then, I ask myself, could I sell this to someone that doesn’t already get it? To some, these words will be like a pleasant reminder. To others, a call to delusion. To them, I say “come, taste and see that the Lord is good!” I don’t think God is offended by us wanting to dip our toes in the water before jumping in. I have had to do it a few times, and God has been gracious enough to let me taste and see that He is good. Can I share one example? Last year around this time, I was driving a 2006 Buick Lacrosse. You don’t need to be a car person to follow this story, but the bottom line is that this thing wasn’t great. Almost every month I had to take her in for repairs, and because she was a luxury model, costs stacked up quickly. That Sunday I had heard a message on tithing, and I said a prayer “God, I’m going to give this a shot. I’m not sure if I can even afford to do the whole 10%, but I can do more than nothing. I’m listening to what you want from me.” I said my prayer and gave what I could, and I waited. 

My first tithe was Sunday. Then Monday rolled around and I couldn’t even get my car started. I towed it to a shop and bit the bullet to get her all fixed up. Like I said, the cost stacked up, but I couldn’t not drive to work, so I did what I had to. Tuesday rolled around, and I was sitting at my desk, making the arrangements to pay for my car, when a coworker walked up to me. It turns out he got a big bonus for referring me to my job at the time, and he wanted to share it with me. I forget the exact numbers, but it turned out to cover the entire cost of the repair. Of course, it was immediately clear to me that this was no coincidence, and I have been tithing ever since. 

There are times that God lets us test those waters. Look at the story of Gideon in Judges 6. An angel comes to Gideon and tells him to go save the Israelites. Naturally, Gideon has a thousand and one fears, concerns, and questions for the angel. But, does the angel spout off at him angrily? Does he rebuke him for not going blindly? I know I would have. No, instead the angel hears out the concerns, welcomes the tests, and lets Gideon know this whole thing is legitimate. After this, Gideon goes out, and Israel is saved from their oppressors. What I am trying to say is that although I don’t have all the answers, I have enough of a foundational understanding of God’s goodness that when something comes up that I don’t understand, I don’t need a response. I don’t have to have every answer to every problem. I know enough to know He is good, and that He has a plan that is good. Maybe one day I will understand the plan, but for now, I know the planner. That, for me, is enough. 

But does such an answer really suffice? Yes and no. It’s my response, it’s a conclusion I’m confident with, but I know when to, and not to, use it. If someone were to press on me with questions about how God could allow some of the bad things in the world, this is more-or-less my answer. But, to a hurting heart, a head-knowledge answer isn’t what they need. In the same way that you don’t just want to offer a sick man a new pair of pants, you don’t want to intellectualize a broken heart. Even if you’ve got the world’s best answer, it’s the wrong category of help. Sometimes, what someone needs is a hug and some aid. As you offer that help, maybe you’ll plant in their heart the answers to the questions they had in their head.

I pray my thoughts can enrich your faith, and your understanding of the King. I pray that I have blessed your life in some way. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns. Until next we meet

May peace be with you.